Successfully completing a master's program can seem like a daunting task. What begins with the excitement of gaining acceptance into the program of your choice and choosing your first graduate classes, soon turns into the pressure of choosing a thesis topic, attending and possibly presenting at academic conferences, taking and passing qualifying exams, finding faculty members to serve on your thesis committee and writing your thesis. \n\nMany students perform all of these tasks while also teaching classes as a teaching assistant. Moreover, many graduate students in their final year also face the added demands of gaining admission into a PhD program. \n\nAcquiring a master's degree should not be taken lightly. It is helpful to get off on the right foot by choosing an appropriate adviser. Your adviser can help you select classes each semester, choose conferences to attend and participate in, identify other faculty members for your thesis committee and many other tasks. \n\nMoreover, if your program adviser can't answer a given question you might have, he can more than likely point you in the right direction.
Instructions
Determine Your Program Concentration
1. Consider what academic area or field most interests you, if you do not already know. For example, someone who seeks a master's degree in English might wish to concentrate on Shakespearean Drama. Conversely, another student in the same program may prefer to focus on modern American Literature. Someone seeking a master's degree in Philosophy might choose to focus on Aesthetics, while a student in an Engineering program may elect to specialize in Chemical or Industrial Engineering.
2. Review the areas of concentration available for your particular master's degree program. These areas or fields might differ at each University. Also, reviewing the program concentrations available can jump-start your brainstorming process. More importantly, this step will ensure that you only select a field of interest available at your school.
3. Select the concentration that most interests you, based on what undergraduate courses you most enjoyed, what concentrations are available at your school and what you would like to spend your next few years learning about.
Look for a Faculty Members in your Department Who Share Your Interests
4. Peruse the faculty page of your department's website to view various faculty members' areas of expertise and interest. This will allow you to identify possible faculty members who can advise you in your program. Look for faculty members who specialize in the area or field that you wish to declare as your own focus or specialty.
5. Narrow down the list of faculty members who share your interests to your top two choices. Several factors may affect your decision process. You may see a faculty member who has two areas of expertise, both of which interest you. You might also feel intuitively drawn to certain faculty members, based on their CV (Curriculum Vitae), or other information.
6. Talk to other graduate students in your department, as possible. If you are attending a new school, and have not started your classes yet, you may not have met any of your fellow students. In that case, find out if your department has an academic or social club. Then, try to meet students that way. If you plan to obtain your master's degree at the same school from which you received your bachelor's degree, you probably already know several students. Ask other students about the professors in your department. Request recommendations. Replace any of your top two candidates as necessary.
Meet with Your Two Faculty Member Candidates
7. Initiate contact with the two faculty members you previously chose, based on your research and conversations with other graduate students. An e-mail and phone call is preferable. In your message and e-mail, explain that you are a new student in the department's graduate program, and that you would like to speak with them about directing and advising you. Tell them that you would like to set up an appointment to come to their office and discuss your graduate studies.
8. Wait 1 week for a response from the two faculty members. If you do not hear from them, contact them again. If it is summer, you may need to wait longer. In the meantime, however, if you do not receive a prompt response; you should call your department and make sure that one or both faculty members is scheduled to teach on campus during the same semester that you will commence your graduate studies. If you receive a response with an agreement to meet; set up a meeting.
9. Discuss your graduate interests with one or both faculty members, depending on who responded positively to a meeting. Ideally, you should meet with at least two faculty members. Ensure that both professors plan to continue teaching at your University for the next few years. Be prepared to discuss what interests you have and to answer impromptu questions. Use this time to see which faculty member's personal style most resonates with you. After your meetings, you will know which faculty member to choose as your master's program advisor.
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